Back to you
by rockrose
Summary: Caitlin is twenty-three and she moves back to Montana for reasons you'll find out later. Can she form a relationship with Eric? (I might change the title later, it was the only one I could think of.)
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1-  
  
Caitlin Seager Lowe stepped off the plane. She shook her head. This was most certainly not the way she had imagined her life to be. She was twenty-three years old, and she had her career. She was one of the best photographers in the country. She had traveled the world. But for some reason, she always ended up back here. She remembered her years here as a teenager, hanging out with friends, and riding Bandit. When she was first given the ultimatum when she was fifteen, that she could either move to Montana, or go to jail, she had at one point thought jail was the better plan. But now, eight years later, she was so very grateful to Jim and Dori. They had taken her in, and been parent's to her, then they adopted her when she was seventeen.   
  
"Caitlin, over here!" She heard her name being called.   
  
"Mom!" She ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Dori. She had called her mom since before Dori and Jim had adopted her. She also called Jim dad. They all hadn't seen each other since Christmas. Dori hugged Cailtin tightly, trying not to cry. Caitlin had been like a daughter to Dori and Jim. They couldn't have loved her more if she was their own child.   
  
"I'm so glad you decided to move back. It just hasn't been the same here without you." Dori said, letting go of Caitlin to go help with Caitlin's luggage. "I'm also sorry about Mark. I never thought he would do something like that. When I think about it I-"  
  
"Yeah, well, I try NOT to think about it." Caitlin said, cutting Dori off.   
  
"Oh Caitlin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Caitlin shrugged.   
  
Caitlin climbed in the jeep beside Dori. "So, how have things been here?" Caitlin asked.  
  
"Oh, same old, same old. Brett, Eric and Griffin still hang out all day after work doing, well, nothing. And Jim and I are fine."   
  
"Oh, well. I'm sure now that I'm back there will be more excitment in this town." Caitlin said, grinning. They pulled up to the house, and Caitlin got out of the jeep.  
  
"Home, sweet home." She said, grabbing some of her bags. She walked inside with Dori beinhs her, holding the rest of her bags.  
  
"Hey Caitlin! How are you?" Jim said, hugging Caitlin.   
  
"Hey dad. I'm good." She lied, trying to smile. "And how are you?"   
  
"Same old, same old." He shrugged, leading her into the kitchen after setting her bags down.  
  
"Hey everyone." Caitlin said, smiling at Eric, Griffin, and Brett.  
  
"Hey Caitlin! We heard you were coming back today! So, what's up? And why'd you finally decide to bless this town with your presence?" Eric asked, taking a drink of his pepsi.   
  
Caitlin laughed. "Well, as far as 'what's up' work. Lot's of it. And that's partially why I came back. Uh, well, Montana has some great shots, you know, for pictures, and stuff, and well, I actually missed it here. And that's why I'm moving back." She smiled at everyone's expressions.   
  
"You're moving back? Honey, that's wonderful!" Dori cried, hugging Caitlin once again.  
  
"Wow! That's cool Caitlin." Griffin said.   
  
"Yeah, well, tomorrow I'm going to get in touch with a real estate broker and find a place. I doubt they have any skyrise apartment with a view around here." Caitlin smiled.   
  
"Nope, that they don't have." Brett laughed.  
  
"Yeah, well, I guess it's going to have to be a house then. I just didn't really want to live in a house by myself." Caitlin said.  
  
"Well, uh, actually, I'm looking for a roomate. You interested?" Eric asked.  
  
"Has your place been shut down by the board of health yet, or not?" Caitlin said sarcastically. She was suprised that Eric was offering to let her live in his place as a roomate, but she wasn't about to let him know that.  
  
"No, actually, it hasn't. But don't worry, I'm sure it will be soon." Eric replied with equal sarcasm in his voice. "But I'm serious. At least think about it, ok?"   
  
Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Well, would you mind if I took a look at the place before I signed some contract holding me to that agreement first?"   
  
"No problem. I'll pick you up tomorrow and we can go for lunch, then I'll show you my place, ok?" 'God, that sounded like such a line' he thought, mentally kicking himself.  
  
"Sure." Caitlin said, the humor apparent in her eyes.  
  
"So, uh, I guess that takes care of the whole housing problem, so, uh, what about work? I mean, how are you going to get your pictures to publishers?" Jim asked, interuptting the conversation between Caitlin and Eric.  
  
"Oh, that's no problem at all. I have to go to New York a couple of times a month, and see the publisher. I'll probally go on the weekends to give him the pics." She replied, trying to block out the bad memories of New York, and her ex-fiance.   
  
"So, is anyone up for dinner? My treat!" Jim said, smiling. "And it's in celebration of Caitlin moving back here!"   
  
Caitlin and Griffin looked at each other, and replied, "Let's go!" at the same time, and headed out the door to Griffin's car. 


	2. Roomates

Chapter 2-  
  
Caitlin grabbed her tennis shoes and pulled them on over her socks. She had on a black and white tank top, and a pair of short shorts. She pulled her hair into a pony tail and ran down the stairs as Eric's dark blue truck pulled up to the house. He walked inside the house just as Caitlin got down the stairs.   
  
"Hey." She said, trying not to smile like an idiot.  
  
"Hey, you ready to go?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready." She walked over to him.  
  
"Ok, come on." He lead her out to his truck.  
  
"Nice truck." She said, obviously impressed.  
  
"What kinda car have you got?" He asked, opening her door for her. She stared at him in shock.  
  
"Did you just open the door, for me?" She asked, looking blank.  
  
Eric laughed. "Just get in!" Caitlin got in the truck and he shut the door. He went around to his side of the truck and got in.  
  
Eric burst out laughing.   
  
"What is so funny?" Caitlin asked, getting irritated.  
  
"You just seemed so suprised when I opened your door for you. What, do you think I'm not a gentleman?" He feigned hurt.She laughed, looking at him. He had become gorgous over the years she had been away. His blonde hair was naturally wavy, and she watched him pout, realized he hadn't lost his charm. He looked cute pretneding to be hurt, but she had noticed last night that he had a firm jaw line, making him have chisled good looks. She felt her heart pick up speed. 'Stop that! This is Eric you're thinking about like that.' she though.  
  
"Awww! Poor Eric. No, you're a total gentleman."  
  
"Thank you."   
  
"So, when did you get your truck?" She asked, as he pushed play on his C.D. player.  
  
"Uh, last year, I will have had this truck a year in July." he said, before Limp Bizkits music filled the truck.  
  
"Really? Wow, I guess I have missed a lot of details around here."  
  
"Yep. So what does your car look like?" He asked.  
  
"Me? A car? In New York? Yeah, right." She laughed. "But I will have to get a car now that I live in Montana. My publisher told me he would co-sign for me if I wanted to get one, but that was when I lived in New York. I guess I'll get a car later."   
  
"I'll take you to look at one today, if you want."   
  
"You would do that for me?" She asked, clearly suprised.  
  
"Of course." He shrugged, making a turn.  
  
"Well, you're just full of suprises today."   
  
"Yep. Will you do something for me though?" He asked, looking at Caitlin briefly.  
  
"Sure, what?"  
  
"Why did you really move back here? What happened in New York?" He asked.  
  
"What?" Caitlin asked, suprised. Didn't he know? Then again, Jim and Dori probally hadn't said anything.   
  
Eric pulled the truck to a stop in front of a diner.  
  
"Come on, Caitlin. I know you, and I saw you were lying through your teeth last night. Now tell me the truth."  
  
He walked out of the truck and opened her door, letting her out. She thought about telling Eric. What would happen? Would that be the right thing to do? She looked into his eyes and nodded. She could trust Eric. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her into the diner, sitting across from her in a booth.   
  
"Well, I guess I should start at the beginning." Caitlin took a deep breath, and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the waitress came over to the table, handing them some menu's.  
  
"Hello, do you know what you want to drink?" She asked.  
  
"An iced tea." Caitlin answered.  
  
"The same." Eric nodded.  
  
"Ok, two iced teas. Our specials for lunch today are the chef's salad, and the deluxe burger with french fris and onion rings. Would you two like to look at the menu's, or would you like to have a special?"  
  
"Their burgers here are great." Eric told Caitlin.  
  
"The burger." Caitlin said.  
  
"And I'll have the same." Eric told the waitress.  
  
"Alrighty, two iced teas, and two deluxe burgers, coming up." She said, taking the menu's and walking away.  
  
"Ok, so you were starting at the beginning?" Eric asked, looking at Caitlin.  
  
Caitlin sighed and nodded. "Well, a few years ago, I met this guy. His father owned a bunch of ski lodges, and I went to take some pictures of the lodge, the snow, and the sonw borders." Caitlin paused for a second, before adding, "Oh course, none of the snow borders were as good as you are."   
  
Eric laughed. "Thanks. You know, I knew you thought I was the best border ever."   
  
"Oh, yeah, sure. Well, now that I have increased the size of your ego, should I go on with the story?"   
  
"Yeah, go on." Eric said, just as the waitres came back with the iced teas. Caitlin continued after the waitress left the table.  
  
"Well, anyway, his name was Mark, and-"  
  
"Mark, your ex- fiance? All Dori, Jim, and Griffin would ever say was that you called off the wedding."  
  
"I'm getting to that. Anyway, Mark and I got along right away, which was really suprising, you know, the fact that he was a, well, he was one of thoose guys that just had everything handed to him by his father, ya know? But none- the- less, we started dating. His charm was what won me over. I was so stupid." Caitlin shook her head, and lowered her eyes away from Eric's.   
  
Eric grabbed her hands away from playing with her glass of tea, and put a hand under her chin, lifting her face to meet his. "You are NOT stupid Caitlin. Don't let anyone ever, EVER tell you otherwise, do you hear me?"   
  
"Yeah, I hear you." She nodded, as the waitress came back out with their food.   
  
"Here you two go." She said, laying their plates down on the table, and placing the check beside their drinks.  
  
"Thanks." Caitlin smiled as the waitress walked away. She took a bite of her burger. "This is good!" She said, grabbing a fri.  
  
Eric laughed. "Told you." He said, taking a bite of his burger. He would find out the rest of the sotry aout Mark later, but for now, he was going to have fun being with Caitlin.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Eric and Caitlin got out of Eric's truck. They had just finished having lunch, and now they were at his house.  
  
"Oh my God!" Caitlin gasped as she followed Eric to the door of his house.  
  
"What?" He asked, unlocking the door.  
  
"This is youre place?"  
  
Eric nodded. "Yep."  
  
"But, it's not, it's not- well, it's not messy. And it actually looks nice. Hell, it's cleaner than my apartment in New York was!" Caitlin stuttered, walking inside, and looking around in amazement.  
  
It was a pretty two story house, the walls were all white, and there was a large blue sofa and two chairs in the living room. There was a T.V. and a large stereo. The kitchen was pretty, with the exception of being a little bare, and undecorated, like the rest of the house. She followed him around the house. There were four bed rooms, two office's, three bathrooms, a laundry room, a den, and a dinning room.  
  
"Eric, this place is amazing. But why'd you get it? It's so big especially for just one person." Caitlin said, sitting down on the sofa, beside Eric.   
  
Eric shrugged. "I don't really know. I just always wanted a nice house, and since I spend all my time making otehr peoples dreams come treu, I figured, why not build my dream house while I'm young so I can enjoy it all my life, instead of when I'm like thirty, or fifty or whatever."   
  
"You designed this? I mean, I knew you are an arcitect, but I never knew you were this good." Caitlin smiled, looking up at the huge ceiling fan that hung from the high ceiling.  
  
"Yeah, well, do ya wanna move in with me or not?" Eric asked, watching her look around the room.  
  
"Of course I want to! This place is amazing! But I do have one question." She said, standing up to walk over to the huge window that let you look out at the property Eric owned.   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"Can I redecorate? I mean, the place is gorgouse, but you need some color, some decor, ya know?" She looked at him, sticking her bottom lip out.  
  
Eric laughed "Yeah, whatever you want. But just one thing- none of that crazy furniture stuff that people call modern or whatever, ok?"  
  
"You actually think I would have that in this house? Yeah, right. This place is so, so, perfect. It's kinda old fashioned, with a, well, a modern grandness to it. It's very homey, and modern furniture wouldn't look right. I am thinking about orange or yellow walls, or maybe blue, and some antiques, maybe. I'm not sure, but it will look perfect when I'm done. I promise." Caitlin said, visualizing what the house would look like when she was finished.  
  
Eric just stood back and watched as Caitlin walked throughout the house, making plans for redecorating. 


	3. Protecting you

NOTE: Ok, when I started writing this, I hadn't seen the episode where Caitlin doesn't want to be adopted and she doesn't want to call Jim & Dori mom & dad, ok? So just ignore any mistakes like that.  
  
Chapter 3-  
  
"Hey Eric, can I talk to you for a minute?" Griffin asked as Eric came down the stairs from Caitlins room, with one of her suitcases in his hand.   
  
"Sure," he said, walking outside and placing the suitcase in his truck. "What's up?"  
  
"Um, I, well, I guess the only way to say this is to come out and say it. What's going on with you and Caitlin?"   
  
Eric turned around and looked at Griffin in suprise. "What?"  
  
"Come on, I mean, you and I both know you had no intention what so ever to get a roomate, well, until Caitlin needed a place to live. So what's up with that?" Griffin crossed his arms in front of him.  
  
"Look, I just figured I'd be a nice guy. It's my good deed of the year, ok?" Eric responded, walking away. It wasn't the whole turth, but he wasn't about to tell Griffin that the reason he had asked Caitlin to move in with him was that he liked her. No way, no how, was he going to tell Griffin that.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later that night Caitlin and Eric were sitting on the couch, making lists for supplies they would need to redecorate the house.   
  
"The upstairs hall would definatly look better if it was berry blue, Eric!" Caitlin argued, looking at the slips of paint colors from the hardware store.  
  
"No, it wouldn't Caitlin! The hallway is more of a true blue!" Eric said, lifting his finger and pointing to the color he meant.  
  
"Eric, that's not true blue! It's berry blue! This one is true blue!" Caitlin said, pointing out the names of the paint colors on the back.  
  
Eric ducked his head. "Oops." He smiled.  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that we just spent the past half hour arguing over paint colors, only to want the upstairs hall painted the same color?" Caitlin asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Well, at least we both have good taste." Eric shrugged, standing up and heading to the kitchen. "Ya want something to drink?"   
  
"Yeah. Iced tea." Caitlin said, opening the book of wallpaper designs.  
  
Caitlin's gaze followed Eric as he walked into the kitchen. She still found it hard to believe that this was ERIC, the same guy who she rarely ever got along with as a teenager. She watched as his muscular arm opened the refridgerator and got the iced tea out. He got two glasses out of the cabinet, and poured the tea into the glasses. She quickly looked down at the wallpaper samples again as he walked into the living room.  
  
"Here you go." He said, placing the glasses on the coffee table.   
  
"So, uh, you never finished telling me about you and Mark." Eric said, looking Caitlin.  
  
Caitlin rolled her eyes and sat back on the sofa. "Well, let's see, ok, I told you we started dating, right? Well, we dated for a while, and then it started getting serious. After about a year he asked me to marry him, and I said yes." Caitlin looked down at her left hand. "He made everything so perfect. He took me to Bermuda for the weekend, and we were on the beach, and it was night, and he just took out this beautiful ring, and asked me to marry him. And I said yes." Caitlin shook her head, smiling at memory.   
  
"Everything was so wonderful. His mother and I were planning the perfect wedding. It was going to be so great. And up until a month before the wedding everything was great. Then, he started leaving town on "business"." Catilin shook her head in disgust. "And it wasn't until a few weeks before the wedding that I went to his apartment and caught him cheating on me with his fathers secretary. And that's it." Caitlin stood up and looked out the window, remembering how badly she had been hurt by Mark. She had hated him for it.   
  
"Caitlin" Eric said, coming up behind her, and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?"   
  
Caitlin rolled her eyes and nodded. Eric turned her around to face him and looked at her eyes. Seeing her like that, seeing that someone had hurt her so much, made him want to protect her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He would protect her. He would make sure no one hurt her like Mark had again.   



End file.
